USS Bergall

For 2001 Association Minutes, please click HERE
To return to the SS 320 home pages, please click HERE
To return to the SSN 667 home pages, please click HERE

Message from the President, on the creation of the Bergall Association, July 2000

Attention on Deck!!!
The Captain has given me the 1MC and I have an important message for you.

You can read the minutes of the first Bergall Association Meeting by reading below.

You will see that we instituted our boats (both SS320 and SSN667) into one official association, the purpose of which, is to ensure a legacy of everyone who served onboard either and that the memories of submariners is preserved for future generations through our fellowship and close camaraderie that has been bonded over past tours of duties. Does that sound like I work for the Justice Department or what? Well, we had a great time in Nags Head and, as usual, after a GREAT LIBERTY PORT BY BERGALL SAILORS, most of us can't remember who was there. Not really. We created some new bonds between the old guys from the diesel and the "Glow in the Dark" as they called us, Nukes. We drank a lot of beer provided by the "old guys" (not really, we chipped in the kitty, so don't come looking for our money. We don't have as much as you old guys. Most of us are still working to keep our heads above water. Why, I don't know, since we never worried about water over our heads before and you guys are all retired eating up our social security.) Actually, we had a great time both in the SS320 Hospitality Suite at Comfort Inn and the Gazebo at Quality Inn SeaOatel. Many wives were there and I was mortified that they remembered each other and all the neat things we did together while onboard Bergall. How could they get things so confused and believe we were that bad. I considered my Bergall Tour like going to a Seminary. It was definitely a learning experience, no mater how you look at it.

We did make some serious decisions at the luncheon meeting which established our Bergall Association. Among these, annual membership dues were established to retain the Website and help pay for mailings required to those shipmates that do not have computers. Are you amazed at this revelation? I looked at the statistics and the following is revealed: There are two pages of email listings and seven pages of address listings for SS320. There are seven pages of email listings and two pages of address listings for SSN667. I am not certain but that may be why the SS320 guys have more money. We spend all ours on computers. The annual dues are set at $10.00 and are totally voluntary since, we have decided not to cut off your access to the website if you do not pay your dues. There is one catch, though, If you attend the reunion in St Louis in 2001 and have not paid your dues, you may wonder why your badge is up-side-down. Just like you dolphins were for a short while. Remember that???? You might even get thrown in the pool more than once.

Seriously, we need the money to help support our Website, which we intend to grow and make one of the best sites on the Internet. Mike Brood, the son of an SS320 crewmember, has dedicated himself to this website and has created it in remembrance to his father. He has done an outstanding job that we should feel proud of and assist him in remembering all of the submariners who went before us and served with us that are no longer here to participate in our fun and joy at the reunions. Mike is in the same age category as most of us "Nukes" and served his country honorably in the USAF but we won't hold that against him. He was elected an "Honorary Bergall Sailor" at the Nags Head Reunion and everyone, unanimously signed his certificate. Beware Mike, We did not send you over the side at Nags Head. I'm not sure but I think by proxy, he did drink his dolphins.

We also created an East and West Coast Archivist to collect memorabilia of the Bergall boats. We have also undertaken to located some of the serious material that has been misappropriated such as the SSN667 Ship's Bell to place in a special location such as the Undersea Warfare Museum at Keyport Washington or the Submarine Museum in New London, Ct. If you have items that you feel would be of interest, please contact: Abe Kern or Chuck Kennedy (east/west respectively). Remember, the items that meant so much to us, may mean very little to our heirs and would mean so much when viewed by future generations in a Museum. I am now sometimes sorry that I gave much of my submarine memos to the Smithsonian instead of saving it for Submarine oriented Museums. But, at least it will not be discarded from my basement upon my demise.

Don Basham, Bergall Association President, 2000

The Bergall Association's First Annual Minutes

Carl Weber has donated his time, money and energy for the past 12 years in trying to maintain crew lists, home information and arrange Bergall reunions (primarily in association with national conventions of the USSVWWII (United States Submarine Veterans of World War II) and USSVI (United States Submarine Veterans, Inc.)). He has decided that he would prefer to pass the duties to others and suggested that there be formed a Bergall Association that will handle the duties for same.

A meeting was planned for noon on the 12th of May with all attendees of the reunion in Nags Head requested to attend to discuss this.

First Minutes of the Bergall Association

May 12, 2000, 1pm

1 The meeting was brought to order by Don Small.

2 Don Small advised the group that Carl Weber desired to relinquish the duties of reunion coordinator and requested a vote be made for the creation of a Bergall Association.

3 By a vocal vote it was decided to confirm the creation of the Bergall Association. Requests were made for volunteers for the office of president and Carl Weber asked Don Basham if he would consider the position.

4 Don Basham accepted the appointment as President and was confirmed by the group.

5 A Secretary/Treasurer was asked to volunteer and Norm Ferland volunteered and was confirmed.

6 Annual dues were voted on and $10.00 per year, per member was confirmed.

7 The initial mailing list for membership application will be compiled from the crew lists started by Carl Weber and appended by Mike Brood and Don Basham

8 Lawson Byrd took the floor and identified that Bergall memorabilia and artifacts should be placed in a protected location to preserve and protect these item for posterity and that the possible creation of a Bergall museum was needed. Although this was not initially carried, the disposition of items from the boats was discussed. As crew members are willing to donate their items or upon the event of their passing, it was asked that two individuals provide provision that these items be collected in some manner. It was voted that an east and west coast archivist be appointed to attend to these items. It was also asked that a list be compiled to identify those items that are personally held by individuals so that the location was recorded.

9 Charles Kennedy volunteered and was accepted as the west coast archivist.
Abe Kern volunteered and was accepted as the east coast archivist.

10 Abe Kern identified that the bell from the diesel may have ended up as a yard ornament for one of the Chiefs and efforts would be made to confirm and possibly rectify this situation.

11 Don Basham asked about the next national reunion schedule for the USSVWII and USSVI. St. Louis was identified for the next reunion for the USSVWWII and the location or date for the USSVI was not known. It was voted that our organization would set St. Louis as the location for our next reunion in coincident with the USSVWWII convention in 2001. Registration for the USSVWWII attendance was discussed and this will be looked into and the price will be made available as this also helps pay for the hospitality suite.

12 Chuck Kennedy identified that there was still political division between the two veterans groups but encouraged all the crew to join one of the applicable groups to generate more support for their common cause and extend their brotherhood.

13 Don Small asked if the present Bergall website was going to be maintained by Mike Brood. Mike identified that he had full intention to maintain the site. Don then asked about the cost of maintenance of the site. With present costs being borne by Mike Brood, Don Basham suggested that funds from the Association be used to develop a private Bergall page with attendant increase in web space as required. Don Basham and Mike agreed to look into an effective web server and attendant service for the web site.

14 It was requested that the Bergall Association Officers gather for pictures for the internet site.

15 Norman Dineen asked if anyone knew of the existence of the Bergall patch (SS 320) created in the 1956 era, while in Portsmouth and requested that the group also try and identify and / or locate this patch.

16 Warren Valero identified that in lieu of any existing Bergall patch for the diesel, his daughter in-law created the "official" Bergall patch in 1996 because the "Bergall Girl", as drawn by Robert "Bobby Sox" Faselt was a little "racy" for the time. Warren then distributed a "new" Bergall patch that he had created from "Bobby Sox"'s design and offered these to the crew. He then related that on a recent trip to see J.J. Ott (long time rider of the diesel, who is recovering from a stroke) J.J. saw the patch and immediately recognized the "girl".

17 Lawson Byrd requested that there was a requirement for a "Parliamentarian" in the USSVI to reduce the internal squabbles within that group. As this had no bearing on our group, no action was suggested.

18 There being no further business for the group, Don Basham adjourned the meeting.

For 2001 Association Minutes, please click HERE
To return to the SS 320 home pages, please click HERE
To return to the SSN 667 home pages, please click HERE

This site is dedicated to the men that served on the USS Bergall.
For reunion and membership information, contact Dick Fiske, dixf@cox.net
E-mail your comments and additions to Mike Brood, mbrood@bergall.org